Former NFL standout joins Columbia development group

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Former South Carolina Gamecock and NFL Pro Bowler Patrick DiMarco has joined Cason Development Group as development associate/investor relations.

DiMarco will oversee potential property acquisitions and development as well as manage investor relationships and communications, according to a Cason news release.

“We are incredibly excited that Patrick is joining our team. Patrick perfectly fits our culture and our vision to expand with people who desire to grow personally, professionally and spiritually. Patrick’s record has proven time and again that he is a leader and a culture driver. We feel blessed to have him on our team,” said Frank Cason, president of Cason Development Group, in the release.

DiMarco played 10 years in the NFL with the San Diego Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs, Atlanta Falcons and Buffalo Bills, where he earned All-Pro Honors, won an NFC Championship and played in a Super Bowl. At the University of South Carolina, he lettered four years from 2007-10 playing tight end and fullback and serving as team captain his junior and senior seasons.

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DiMarco is graduate of the Darla Moore School of Business with majors in marketing and management and holds a business certificate in Real Estate Investment and Development from the Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University and completed an Executive Degrees Business Program at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business.

“The term ‘NFL’ in locker rooms stands for ‘Not For Long’ and a couple years in I knew that sooner than later I would be a former player,” DiMarco said in the release. “At that time, I decided to leverage resources offered by the NFL and National Football League Players Association to prepare for life after football. Thankfully, that decision equipped me to get out in the corporate world and hold my own just like I did on the football field.”

During his NFL career, DiMarco served as the NFLPA Union Representative with the Falcons and Bills while also serving on the NFLPA finance and financial literacy committees for seven years. He also hold a business certificate from the NFLPA Business Academy at the University of Michigan’s Stephen M. Ross School of Business, as well as a Fundamentals of Global Sports Management business certificate from the Preston Robert Tisch Institute for Global Sport at NYU.

He was a three-time NFL team captain, was selected as the Atlanta Falcons Walter Payton Man of Year Award Winner in 2015 and was the NFLPA Byron Whizzer White Award Recipient for his community and philanthropic work in Atlanta during the 2015 and 2016 seasons. In 2016 DiMarco was selected as the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award Winner for the Atlanta Falcons and served on the Buffalo Bills Social Justice Committee from 2018-2020.

“South Carolina, Columbia, and the University of South Carolina will always hold a dear spot in our family’s life. This is where it all started, opportunities turned into visions, and visions turned into reality. Coming back after 10 years in the NFL and raising my family here has been such a blessing. The community has embraced and welcomed us back with open arms, and it honestly feels like we never left. I’m excited for this next stage of life and the opportunity to work with the great group at Cason Development Group. I’m looking forward to learning with a team that will pour into my life from both a professional and a spiritual manner,” DiMarco said.

DiMarco retired from the NFL after the 2020 season and moved back to Columbia where he has been working with the Gamecock football program the last two seasons. In 2021 he helped coach the running backs and tight ends, as well as helping on special teams. During the 2022 season DiMarco worked with the USC Athletic Department and was heavily involved with the new landscape of NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness). Directly involved with the football department as well, he served as the team's Director of Player Relations, handling current and former player relations, as well as serving as the NFL Liaison.